Research in Tokyo part 1:
Finally in my ‘new’ house, bare feet on my tatami. Outside rages the heaviest typhoon of this year (the 23th of the season). Just a few more hours and it will hit this metropolis again.
An hour ago in the train.
These two days since I arrived I’m constantly looking around, searching for what has changed and what has not. In general Tokyo didn’t change a lot. My friends became a little older (18 years), the bamboo scaffolding around houses under construction became aluminium and the women don’t carry their children any longer on their back. The biggest change is when you’re in the train or the subway (with 15 million others): they still sleep or read as they did in the old days, but they don’t read in books but from small screens. This afternoon I counted. From the 52 persons in my carriage 36 were internetting!
(Detail) No buzzers, bleepers, peepers or other irritating noises announcing an even more irritating phone call. No, here in the Tokyo public transport it is very quiet. Except outside, where the typhoon is entering with all its power.
Only some old ones still read a paper.
(Detail)